Growth assessment of traditional rural children of dayrout, assiut governorate

Abstract EN

Recent studies on the growth of children in Middle East countries have revealed children under three years of age suffer from retarding growth when compared with the American standard population.

The present study attempts to parental and child characteristics likely to determine retarding growth.

The sitting of this study was a rural community in Dayrout, Assiut governorate.

A cross-sectional study of all women with a child aged up to three years was interviewed.

Anthropometrics measurements, socio-demographic and fertility variables were collected using a structured questionnaire.

The indicators of growth were derived from data and univariate and logistic models retarded to determine potential risk factors.

There were 297 children; sex ratio was 1:1.08.

A low frequency (1.5%) were had low weight for height, 11.4% low weight for age and 36.1% low height for age when compared with the American NCHS reference population.

Multivariate logistic regression suggested birth-space (OR = 1.95; 95% CI = 1.11 - 3.39), illiterate (OR = 0.71; 95% CI = 0.26-1.98), children below 6 months (OR = 11.67; 95% CI = 2.15 -63.23), children aged 6 months but less than 1 year (OR = 23.65; 95% CI = 4.27 - 130.94), and females (OR = 0.39; 95% CI = 0.23-0.68) to be strongly and independently associated with stunted growth.

In conclusion, the Egyptians could well have derr onstrated a different growth pattern from the American NCHS reference standards.

Different anthropometric and nutrient standards need to be developed for the Egyptian population in particular and the Arab population in general